Are Audis more expensive to maintain than other cars? It appears so. 

Figures from RepairPal show the average annual repair and maintenance cost of Audis is around £780, versus an industry average of around £500 for all other brands. 

That makes the average annual Audi repair cost comparatively high. That’s partly down to the fact that they are luxury cars using speciality parts. It’s exactly the high quality of these parts that make Audi parts more expensive than other makes. 

But it's also true that Audi drivers fall victim to unexpected issues at roughly twice the rate experienced by drivers of average cars. While the repairs required tend to be of similar severity as those experienced by other cars, even run-of-the-mill Audi repairs can ring up a hefty repairs bill. 

If you do find yourself facing a sizeable repair bill for something unexpected, Bumper's ‘buy now, pay later’ service can help ease the pain. Search for a partner garage for car repair loans near you using our find a partner page.

One way to rank car brands for their reliability is to look at the average annual repair cost, the frequency of unexpected repairs, and the probability that a fix will be considered 'serious’. A serious repair is any fix that costs more than three times the average annual repair cost for all car models.

How Much Do Audi Services Cost?

Here’s what that looks like for Audis: 

Annual Audi Maintenance Costs 

The average annual Audi maintenance costs are £780.

Industry average maintenance costs are around £500.

Frequency of repairs

Industry average: 0.4 times per year 

Audi average: 0.8 times per year 

The probability of needed repair is severe 

Industry average: 12%

Audi average: 13%

The good news for Audi fans is that the money invested in maintaining their favourite cars is probably worth the spend. Audi drivers report holding on to their vehicles for 150,000 miles or even longer. 

Cost By Series

We did the research and went a little further to help you get to know the average Audi maintenance costs, according to WithClutch and CarEdge.com, these are the annual Audi costs for these specific models in pound sterling.

• Audi A3 Maintenance Costs: £680
• Audi A4 Maintenance Costs: £675
• Audi A5 Maintenance Costs: £795
• Audi Q5 Maintenance Costs: £1045
• Audi A6 Maintenance Costs: £845

Are Audis reliable? 

The top takeaway from the figures above is that you should need to factor in unexpected breakdowns on top of regularly scheduled maintenance when budgeting for Audi maintenance costs. Of course, it’s impossible to predict exactly when specific parts will break down on any Audi year and model. To understand the full cost of ownership, however, you have to look at standard Audi repair issues as well as the brand's reliability. 

Audi’s recommended schedule of service intervals calls for minor maintenance service every 10,000 miles and standard maintenance checks service every 20,000 miles. According to data from RepairPal, the price for a 10,000-mile service falls between £100 and £120 on average, while the 20,000-mile servicing jumps up in price to between £380 and £500. 

Of course, there’s more involved in keeping an Audi on the road than scheduled maintenance. The average Audi owner’s annual repair bill comes to between £700 and £800 annually.  Luckily, Bumper lets you split hefty a repair bill into smaller, easy-to-manage, interest-free payments

Keeping Audi repair costs down 

There are loads of variables to consider when it comes to calculating car maintenance costs: what kind of parts typically fail, where you purchase parts, who provides the labour, and the car’s reliability rating all come into play. Some Audis are more reliable than others, and newer models can be less expensive to fix thanks to shared components, electronics and other parts. 

Buying your own parts by cross-referencing part numbers is one great way to save. Scouring the Internet for reputable aftermarket brands or just doing your research on which brands are best to buy can save you hundreds and even thousands of pounds, depending on the job. It's also true that many aftermarket parts are as good — or even better — than the Audi originals.  

Take shock absorbers as an example. There are several aftermarket brands that are cheaper than Audi brand replacements, and some like Koni have a better reputation for performance and longevity.  

What about Audi pre-paid maintenance? 

Audi offers its own financing plan to help owners manage their annual maintenance costs. You can purchase a prepaid maintenance plan under the Audi Care brand, which guarantees that only trained Audi technicians using genuine Audi parts will service your car. 

Going prepaid can provide a simple hedge against cost inflation by fixing prices for parts and labour, making pre-paid somewhat cheaper over the long term. Audi Care plans are bundled according to the following intervals: 

• 10,000 to 20,000 miles
• 30,000 to 40,000 miles
• 40,000 to 50,000 miles
• 50,000 to 60,000 miles
• 60,000 to 70,000 miles
• 70,000 to 80,000 miles

The price of a pre-paid Audi Care contract will vary somewhat by the dealership, but most plans are priced between £700 and £1,000 depending on the Audi model and which intervals you select.

When a big Audi repair bill lands, try Bumper 

It doesn't matter which car you drive, bad luck can catch anyone out. If you do find yourself facing a sizable repair bill for your Audi, Bumper's ‘buy now, pay later’ service can help ease the pain.   

Bumper is a car finance solution that lets you split a hefty Audi repair bill into smaller, easy-to-manage, interest-free payments. It works like this:  

• Enter your vehicle registration number and postcode.   
• Select a local repair centre from our network.   
• Complete a simple credit application for up to £5,000  
• Receive your unique Bumper Code.   
• Book your appointment.  

The whole process takes a matter of minutes. Bumper lets you get the repairs you need quickly while deferring payments in easy interest-free instalments. 

Visit our How It Works page to find out more. 

Author - Joseph Law

Joseph has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.